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4DThinker

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Mar 15, 2008
2,033
2
Say, has anyone had any experience with the KOSS Porta Pro? I am looking for a new pair of headphones to replace my dying AKG K26P.
If THESE are the ones you are talking about, In haven't tried them. The specs look decent. The price is decent. In many cases the specs will reveal a weakness, but I don't see any. If it were me, I'd buy them to try. I'd keep the receipt and make sure they had a reasonable return policy though.
 

4DThinker

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Mar 15, 2008
2,033
2
Any opinions about the new ipod earbuds Apple just announced? Apparently the remote controls only work on the brand new Touch, Nano, and Classic. $29 for the simple version and $79 for a high end in-canal version.

First persion to get either, please leave a little review.

Thanks
4D
 

smwatson

macrumors 6502a
Sep 30, 2005
961
6
London, England
Any opinions about the new ipod earbuds Apple just announced? Apparently the remote controls only work on the brand new Touch, Nano, and Classic. $29 for the simple version and $79 for a high end in-canal version.

First persion to get either, please leave a little review.

Thanks
4D

I can't wait to hear if Apple have improved on the old in-ear headphones.

Bought a pair of those. They are pretty terrible.
 

Sesshi

macrumors G3
Jun 3, 2006
8,113
1
One Nation Under Gordon
Personally I think the Shure SE530 is currently the best all-rounder and is what you should buy if you're looking for a great everyday iPod companion and aren't tied to a low budget.

It has sound quality that's among the top for a balanced-armature phone without the stressed, distortion-laden reproduction of the single-driver Etymotics. It's also well designed and when partnered with the various tips available, is very versatile for all sorts of travelling uses. The silicone tips can be used for everyday commuting, while the Comply-style tips come into their own for comfortable air travel.

People who're hooked on the inaccurate reproduction of the Etymotic ER-4S/P blast the Shures for being bass-heavy, but the fact is that when you take the SE530 sound into the headphone arena it compares favourably with well-regarded, less anaemic reference phones - and the ER's seem excessively tinny in comparison, as they should. The bass is punchy, not bloated.

The Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi could be as good, but the product engineering is poor and as a result the fit - a critical part of armature phones - is compromised. If I was guessing, I'd say it was a classic example of computer-originated (and not assisted) incompetence in product design, while Shure likely played with real-life models before hitting the SLA's.

Not that armature phones have that great a sound reproduction when you start being picky - the upper midrange on the SE530 grates and splashes more than a little, and moving straight from my 'good' headphones to the Shure is an experience in teeth-grittage - but to me they encompass the best iPod-related compromise of high isolation, decent sound in the musical range, good human-interface engineering and portability.

The short-cord + extension arrangement also works well for people like me who use remotes like the Gear4 Blueye, and isn't a hindrance if you don't use them like that.

The SE530's have stood up to my use for them as a commute beater quite well. They get squashed under lots of other stuff, sat on, etc and they exhibit no problems.

The one issue I'm aware of is the cable - which I think they still might not have got right, in that the nylon shroud has a habit of absorbing skin moisture / oil over time and for the plasticiser to leach out (Where? is a very good question) making the shroud brittle. I've not yet come across this on the SE5xx yet and in fact haven't come across it myself, but friends have come across it aplenty on the E2c. This is possibly because I don't have a pair of earphones jammed in my ear for every waking hour.
 

Victor ch

macrumors 6502a
Jun 19, 2007
718
1
San José, Costa Rica
Just ordered a pair of Grado SR80's from amazon :D I'll write a review as soon as I get 'em.
sr80.gif

Victor
 

iphonematt

Guest
Jul 10, 2007
190
0
My favorite headphone by far are the Bose Quiet Comfort 2 Headphones. They are comfortable, sound great, and reduce a great amount of outside noise!
 

Victor ch

macrumors 6502a
Jun 19, 2007
718
1
San José, Costa Rica
My favorite headphone by far are the Bose Quiet Comfort 2 Headphones. They are comfortable, sound great, and reduce a great amount of outside noise!

I own them and find them a tad overpriced. The comfort and the noise-canceling are almost class-leading, but, the sonic abilities are a tad poor. I find them to be one of the (if not THE) best Bose products, but aren't acoustic marvels :D They'l gather dust for a while (Grado's on the way :p) but they still remain my headphones of choice when traveling in planes or anything aside my school bus (where surprisingly the kids have become quieter lol) For everyday use and on-the-road use I'll still use my Bang&Olufsens and for at home or elsewhere my upcoming Grado SR80s.

Do I regret buying the QC2s? Partially. Pros for the comfort and noise-canceling, but the sound should be much much better, specially since I splurged $300 on 'em.

Victor
 

4DThinker

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Mar 15, 2008
2,033
2
Still curious about the Apple premium earbuds. Also like to mention that I've gotten the Samsung P2 as well as the Samsung T10 media players to act like headsets via bluetooth with my iMac. Both can be put in redial mode after having been paired with the iMac, and use their mic and own headphone jacks as a headset for Skype or any other program that uses mic input and headphone output.
 

netdog

macrumors 603
Feb 6, 2006
5,760
38
London
Fan of the B&O A8s for exercising (particularly biking) as they just stay on.

Love my Shure e4c headphones when I really want to hear the music.
 

Victor ch

macrumors 6502a
Jun 19, 2007
718
1
San José, Costa Rica
Fan of the B&O A8s for exercising (particularly biking) as they just stay on.

Love my Shure e4c headphones when I really want to hear the music.

Hmm Shure ones superior to the B&O... I guess they're that good.


On the other hand, been using the SR80s for the last couple of days, and holy f****ng sh*t :eek: They sound just amazing, like stupidly amazing. I won't write a review, you just test them and you'll see. Im unable to use my QC2's after using them (or the B&Os for that matter), they just sound so dull and muddy... I seriously recommend Grado Labs as a brand option, fantastic sound.



Victor
 
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